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Resource Levelling

5 minutes 5 Questions

Resource levelling is a technique used in project management to balance the allocation of available resources – such as personnel, equipment, and finances – ensuring that there are no over-allocations or under-allocations throughout the project timeline. This technique helps to optimize resource utilization and evenly distribute workloads among team members, without compromising the project's overall schedule. It often involves reassigning resources, rescheduling tasks, or making adjustments to task dependencies to achieve a smooth allocation of resources. While doing so, the overall project duration may increase, but it ensures that resources are efficiently distributed across the project life cycle.

Resource Levelling

Resource levelling is a process in project management that aims to smooth out the allocation of resources.

Why it is important: In project management, it is essential to ensure that resources are used efficiently. Resource levelling helps to avoid resource over-allocation which may lead to unnecessary costs and project delays. It also helps to maintain the work-life balance of the project team members by preventing burnout.

What it is: Resource levelling is a scheduling technique used to discover and resolve conflicts or over-allocations in project schedules. It is a strategy for sidestepping or minimizing problems with resources being over-extended or inefficiently used.

How it works: Resource levelling works by optimizing the allocation of resources in such a way that the original project deadline is maintained. It can involve delaying tasks and reallocating resources to ensure that no resource is over-worked.

Exam tips: Answering Questions on Resource Levelling
1. Understand the concept of resource levelling thoroughly and focus on its purpose in managing resources and avoiding over-allocation.
2. Practical examples of resource levelling would help you to understand and remember the concept better.
3. Expect questions examining your understanding of how and when to apply resource levelling in project management.
4. Be aware of the potential impacts of resource levelling on a project schedule, including possible delays and changes in task sequencing.

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PMP - Scheduling Techniques Example Questions

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Question 1

In a construction project, your key resources are heavily utilized during the early stages and become idle towards the project close. Hiring additional temporary resources isn't an option. What's the best solution?

Correct Answer: Reschedule tasks to distribute the workload evenly over the entire timeline, avoiding impact on critical activities

The best solution is to reschedule tasks to distribute the workload evenly over the entire timeline, avoiding impact on critical activities. This approach allows the project manager to optimize the use of available resources throughout the project duration, ensuring that key resources are not overloaded during the early stages and left idle towards the end. By carefully rescheduling tasks, the project manager can balance the workload and minimize the impact on critical activities, which is crucial for the project's success. Postponing the project start until more resources become available is not an ideal solution as it may lead to project delays and potentially miss important deadlines. Increasing the project duration to ease the strain on resources is also not the best approach, as it can result in increased costs and may not align with the project's objectives and stakeholder expectations. Fast-tracking tasks to free resources for other tasks can introduce risks to the project, such as compromising quality or creating dependencies that may cause delays if not managed properly.

Question 2

In the execution phase, you notice a repeated pattern of under-allocation of your project resources. This is causing the project timeline to extend. How should you address this issue?

Correct Answer: Implement resource leveling to optimize the allocation and usage of resources.

The best answer is 'Implement resource leveling to optimize the allocation and usage of resources.' Resource leveling is a strategy in project management that aims to minimize resource fluctuation and over-allocation. If resources are consistently under-allocated, it could mean that they're not being used efficiently, which could drive the project timeline to extend. By implementing resource leveling, you optimize the allocation and usage of resources which would prevent project delays. The answer 'ignore the situation and continue with the extended timeline' is incorrect because ignoring a problem often exacerbates it. The 'terminate the less skilled resources' answer is also incorrect because termination may not address the core issue of resource allocation, and it can have other negative implications like reduced morale or a lack of necessary skills in the team. The 'increase the workload of the under-allocated resources' answer is also flawed because simply increasing workload doesn't address the root cause of under-allocation. It may also lead to overworked resources, which is not sustainable in the long run.

Question 3

You notice that the front-end development team on your project is overallocated for several weeks. What should you do to level the resources?

Correct Answer: Analyze and reschedule tasks with more flexibility or available float

The best answer is 'Analyze and reschedule tasks with more flexibility or available float'. Project management is all about efficient resource allocation. If the front-end development team is overallocated, it means that they have more tasks on their plate than they can handle, which can lead to burnout and reduced productivity. Analyzing the situation and rescheduling tasks provides the manager with the opportunity to balance the workload and ensure that no team is overburdened. Reducing the number of tasks for the front-end team or delegating tasks to the back-end team may not be feasible or efficient, as each team has its own set of responsibilities and skills. Forcing the front-end team to work overtime is not an effective or ethical approach, as it could lead to burnout, reduced quality of work, and overall employee dissatisfaction.

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